Turning furnace for metallurgical purposes



Oct. 6, 1953 P. SCHMIDT TURNING FURNACE FOR METALLURGICAL PURPOSES Filed Feb. 2o, 1951 Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TURNING FURNACE FOR M'ILLURGCL PURPOSES Peter Schmidt, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany Application February 20, 1951, Serial No. 211,912

In Germany November 29,1948

(Cl. 26E-32) 2 Claims. l

The present invention relates to metallurgical furnaces and more particularly to turning furnaces which rotate about a horizontal axis and which are provided with a plurality of furnace chambers. The molten charge passes in a reciprocating manner from one furnace chamber to another for the purpose of thoroughly mixing the molten charge.

An object of the invention is to provide a furnace of this character with at least two adjacent steps over which the molten metal may ow from one furnace chamber to another with a turbulent action produced by flowing over these steps, the steps being formed by spaced vertical central inbeing supported by two longitudinally spaced circumferential ring members 8 which rest upon rollers 9. One or more of the rollers 9 may be driven in any desired manner, as by a motor (not shown) to provide for continuous rotation of the furnace. The two furnace chambers I and 2 of circular cross-sectional configuration are shown supported by spokes I5 which extend inwardly from the ring members 8. The circular chambers I and 2 are each provided with a lining 3 of suitable refractory material.

The outer end wall I6 of chamber I is provided with an aperture I1 concentric with the common rotational axis I2 and a burner I0 is disposed adterior end wall surfaces of the furnace chambers jacent to the aperture I'I for heating the furnace. or hearths, together with a lateral surface of The outer end wall I8 of chamber 2 is similarly each chamber which extends beyond its own cenapertured at II, providing a vent for waste gases tral end wall surface to the end wall surface of and an opening for charging the furnace and for the adjacent chamber. removing unmelted materials therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide The chambers I and 2 are provided with cena turning furnace of this type comprising a pair tral interior wall surfaces I9 and 20 which lie of horizontally elongated furnace chambers with in spaced parallel planes 2l and 22 respectively, parallel longitudinal axes disposed for rotation perpendicular to the common turning axis I2 about a common horizontal axis passing through and located in proximity to the middle thereof. the interiors of both chambers so that the turn- The chamber I is provided with a lateral wall ing axis passes through the outer end walls of surface 23 which extends beyond its own interior the furnace, but not through the central end end wall surface I9 to the interior wall surface 20 wall surfaces. of the other chamber 2 where it forms a step Other and further objects will become aphaving a corner 4. Chamber 2 is similarly proparent upon reading the following specification vided with a lateral wall surface 24 which extogether with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation of an embodiment of the invention, viewed in longitudinal sectional elevation.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view in elevation of an embodiment of the invention, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view in elevation, taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, a furnace is diagrammatically represented which comprises a pair of horizontally elongated furnace chambers I and 2. Steps are provided which have corners 4. The longitudinal axis I3 of chamber I is parallelto the longitudinal axis I4 of chamber 2 and these parallel axes I3 and I4 are diametrically disposed on opposite sides of a common horizontal turning axis I2 which passes through the interiors of the chambers i and 2. The longitudinal axes I3 and I4 are spaced at equal distances from the common turning axis I2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the furnace is mounted for rotation about the common axis I2,

tends beyond its own interior end wall surface 20 to the interior end wall surface I9 of the other chamber I Where it forms another step having a corner 4.

In operation, the furnace is charged with material to be melted and is continuously rotated, being fired by the burner I0. The molten metal ows alternately over the corner 4 and the corner Il', thus passing from chamber I into chamber 2 and from chamber 2 back into chamber I, respectively. In so flowing a waterfall effect is produced which causes turbulence and a thorough mixing of the molten metal.

The furnace is shown in the drawing as being charged with molten salt 6 floating on top of molten metal 5 for carrying out a rening process such as that for the removal of aluminum from a zinc alloy by means of zinc chloride according to the equation In this process it is necessary to mix the molten metal and salt together very intimately. The turbulence produced by the waterfall action of the step corners 4 and 4 greatly enhances the 2 mixing action as the molten charge ows back and forth between the furnace chambers I and 2.

Having thus described a specific embodiment of my invention for purposes of illustration, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A turning furnace of the class described, comprising: a pair of horizontally elongated furnace chambers having substantially parallel 1ongitudinal axes, said chambers being disposed for rotation about a common generally horizontal axis passing through the interiors of both of said chambers, said parallel axes being diametrically disposed on opposite sides of said common axis and spaced at substantially equal distances therefrom, said chambers having central interior end Wall surfaces lying in spaced parallel planes substantially perpendicular to said common axis and in proximity to the middle thereof, each chamber having a lateral surface extending beyond its own central end wall surface to the end Wall surface of the other chamber.

4 2. A turning furnace according to claim 1 in which each of said chambers is of circular crosssectional configuration.

PETER SCHMIDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 800,148 Grilen Sept. 26, 1905 1,881,117 Brackelsberg Oct. 4, 1932 2,060,177 Clamer Nov. 10, 1936 2,204,145 Mueller June 11, 1940 2,355,885 Merle Aug. 15, 1944 2,390,052 Bernstori et al. Dec. 4, 1945 2,472,465 Cornell June '1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 284,494 Great Britain Feb. 2, 1928 531,065 Germany Aug. 5, 1931 

